Swaayatt Robots, a Bhopal-based autonomous driving startup, has successfully raised $4 million in funding from US-based angel investors, boosting the company’s valuation to $151 million. The startup’s founder, Sanjeev Sharma, announced on LinkedIn that this funding is part of a larger round, with additional funds expected to push the valuation to $175 million within the next six to seven months.
In 2021, Swaayatt Robots previously raised $3 million, and the new funds will be allocated to expanding research and development in crucial areas such as reinforcement learning and unsupervised learning. Sharma emphasized on LinkedIn, “Going forward, with this new fundraise of USD 4 million, which is part of a larger fund we are raising with global investors, we will actively be inventing new AI capabilities to solve the problem of autonomous general navigation.”
Sharma also highlighted the startup’s commitment to overcoming the most challenging AI problems to ensure safe and affordable autonomous driving technology. Since its inception in 2015, Swaayatt Robots has developed proprietary algorithms capable of navigating complex Indian roadways without human intervention.
Initially self-funded, the company has advanced AI and autonomous driving technologies, achieving significant milestones such as LiDAR-less perception and nighttime operation. Their goal is to achieve Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Level 5 autonomy, where autonomous systems can handle all driving tasks in any condition. Swaayatt Robots has conducted over 80 demonstrations but has yet to reveal fully autonomous capabilities on public roads.
